Bitter Fate
by SleaterKinney
Summary: Alternative ending to 'Is There a Doctor in the House' Gabrielle doesn't make it and Xena goes on to get vengence but it's at a cost. Aprox 1000 word story. Xena/Gabrielle


Title: Bitter Fate

Fandom: Xena: Warrior Princess

Pairing: Xena/Gabrielle

Word count: 1063

Influences: Hello - Evanescence & Xena Episode: Is There A Doctor In The House

Genre: Tragedy/Hurt/Agnst

Time: Approx 70 minutes

"Gabriele, please wake up, Gabrielle wake up!" Xena screamed at her companion laid out on the table, she had never felt so many emotions much let out those emotions for a long time, not since her brother died years ago but as she stood there looking down at the Bard she had grown fond of, gripping her hand that was getting cooler every second she couldn't keep back the tears that were running down her face. She shook Gabrielle! Trying to get her to do something, _anything. _The villagers who stared down at Xena with fear and shock and the soldiers who looked at her with envy and hate were in shock, they all knew of the Warrior Princess, her brutal past her apparently unforgiving ways. No one would guess all it'd take was a seemingly insignificant Bard to break that wall that Xena held together so well and crack everything she held dear into tiny pieces.

"Xena... She's not breathing, please let her rest. She's in a better place" one of the churches followers said calmly. Xena just wouldn't accept it at all, her eyes went up aiming it at her target like a lion would it's prey. "You don't know ANYTHING! She is alive, she just needs air, or something" Xena reasoned, her gaze softening as it went back to _her_ bard. Xena looked around helplessly, as if asking for help something very unlike her. She was independent, strong, she found a way to fix everything; but here, she was vulnerable and she allowed people to see her in this state. She had no idea what to do, how to get Gabrielle back to her old self, smiling, helping people even though she herself might get in harms way, she needed Gabrielle to go on, to do anything.

Xena leant down, her mouth pressed to the bards, her fingers pinching the blondes nose shut as she blew air into the unmoving womans mouth, trying to get her to breathe, to move, trying to do anything to get her back to life but nothing would work. Xenas fist started banging on Gabrielles chest, her voice ragged, pleading as she yelled "wake up!" no one else around knew what to do, whether to attempt to pull her away or just leave her there with her torment.

Whether it was hours or minutes Xena didn't know, but she stopped trying, now just cradled up to the cool body weeping and crying. "Why did you have to go, why did you have to leave me?" the older woman wept at her deceased partner. "...Why didn't I tell you how I felt about you? Why did _they_ have to take you away from me?" That was it, Xena would find the man responsible for killing Gabrielle even if it meant killing both sides of this war. Xena shot up, grabbing her sword in hand and started questioning everyone in the room, trying to find out information. There was one warrior who saw what happened, described him and away she went, out into the forest even with the hail of arrows and the sounds of swords clashing together, she didn't care, she just _had_ to find that man and make him pay for the unforgivable offence he committed. She ran and ran putting the pinch on someone in a while for more information until she found where the man was.

She started walking towards him and if looks could kill he'd be dead already when something stopped her in her tracks. Was that Gabrielles voice she just heard call her name? No it couldn't be, could it? "Xena..." Gabrieles voice whispered causing Xena to jump and turn trying to locate the source of the sound. "You know I wouldn't want this..." the voice continued. Was Xena hearing things or was Gabrielle actually communicating to her, she didn't know. "There must be another way..." the voice said. This wasn't the time for Cryptic clues and messages and Xena certainly wasn't in the right frame of mind to take in anything other than revenge. The normally hard warrior dropped onto her knees and started wailing. "What do I do!" she cried out wanting an answer but the voice was gone. Was this her own guilty mind tormenting her? It felt like it. Unknown and uncaring to Xena her wailing had brought attention to the same soldier that had attacked Gabrielle who began to investigate.

A hundred thoughts were running through Xenas mind, all at a hundred miles an hour about how to get Gabrielle back, how to go on, how to kill that soldier, how to get revenge and she couldn't get an answer for any of the questions she wanted. She looked up, tears still in her eyes at a young boy with a bow and arrow in his hands, he fit the profile of who hit Gabrielle but he was just a boy... None of that mattered, "Excuse me, are you oka-" the young frightened boys words were cut short as without mercy Xena drew her sword and stabbed him through his stomach. She knew exactly what she was doing, she kicked him down, straddled his chest and started bashing him, her fists coming down on his face in the same way her fists were coming down on Gabrielles chest trying to get her to breathe but this time they were trying to cause harm.

She didn't even recognise the sound of footsteps in the foliage behind her, she just kept wailing "how could you do this! Why did you take her away from me!" as the young boy lay there dying. The sword was nearing behind her, and it was too late, the sword was already through the grieving warriors chest, her wailing stopped and a gasp came out. She didn't try to fight back though, after the initial shock she just kept hitting the boys face her hits getting lighter and lighter until she was apologizing to him, collapsing down on top of him then rolling next to the young boy looking up into the sky. She knew she wouldn't see Gabrielle ever again, She'd be down in Tartarus while Gabrielle would be in the Elysian Fields. "I'm sorry... Gabrielle... I... love you" Xena just got out before everything went black knowing Gabrielle would hear those words and every thought she had of the Bard.


End file.
